A Greater Manchester animal rescue charity has described an ‘appalling’ act of cruelty in which a washing basket full of kittens and cats was dumped, leaving them for dead.
Disturbingly, the adorable animals were cable-tied in to the laundry basket in the pouring rain.
They had no way to escape and would have starved to death were it not for some kind-hearted passers-by who spotted them.
In total, there were three adult cats and six tiny kittens crammed into the basket, ditched in the Greenbank Park area in Levenshulme.
Although initially it was feared that one of the kittens had been crushed to death, they are now all expected to make a full recovery.
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But Kitty Rescue Bury has slammed the act of cruelty, saying it’s left the cats ‘traumatised and so scared’.
The basket of kittens was found in the bushes by workers at Coreline Fibre, who took them back to their workplace and called for help.
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Kitty Rescue Bury said: “We are saddened and deeply disturbed by a recent incident. We were made aware yesterday that nine innocent cats were dumped in a washing basket.
“This act of cruelty is not only appalling but also unacceptable, and we urge people to reach out for help rather than resort to such inhumane actions.
A washing basket full of kittens has been found in Greater Manchester. Credit: Kitty Rescue BuryA washing basket full of kittens has been found in Greater Manchester. Credit: Kitty Rescue BuryA washing basket full of kittens has been found in Greater Manchester. Credit: Kitty Rescue Bury
“These poor cats were hidden away, abandoned and left for dead basically, in a terrifying situation.
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“They were tucked away hidden in the bushes in the awful rain with no way to survive as they were cable tied in. If they were not found the consequences would have been dire they would have suffered and starved to death.
“They were fortunate that someone so went into the bushes and spotted them. Thankfully they were kind caring people so took the cats in the basket back to work with them an reached out for help.”
The Radcliffe-based charity added: “At Kitty Rescue Bury, we believe that every life matters. We are committed to providing a safe haven for cats in need and finding them loving forever homes.
“However, incidents like this highlight the desperate need for increased awareness and education about responsible pet ownership. It is vital for individuals to understand that there are alternative options available rather than abandoning defenceless animals.”
The kittens and cats after being rescued. Credit: Kitty Rescue Bury
The charity is urging people who are struggling to care for their pets to reach out to appropriate organisations for help, rather than taking such drastic measures as dumping the animals.
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These include local rescue groups, vets, and similar organisations.
Kitty Rescue Bury has also appealed for donations to allow them to continue their work and to pay for the care of the abandoned cats.
You can donate through GoFundMe or via bank transfer (Kitty Rescue Bury, HSBC, 40-15-21, 91680579).
Anyone with dashcam or doorbell footage from the Mount Road/Greenbank Park area should get in touch with Kitty Rescue Bury.
Featured image: Kitty Rescue Bury
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Chester Zoo named one of England’s most popular tourist attractions with 1.9m visitors
Emily Sergeant
Congratulations are in order, yet again, for Chester Zoo… as this time its been one of England’s most popular attractions.
Merely months after being named the UK’s best zoo for the second year running, thanks to receiving more than 11,000 ‘excellent’ reviews from TripAdvisor, Chester Zoo has now got itself another prestigious title, as a major VisitEngland (VE) report has ranked it the third most-visited ‘paid for’ attraction in England – and the most visited outside of London.
The national tourist board for England gathered information from a total of 1,373 attractions across the country, and ranked the UK’s biggest charity zoo as the third overall in terms of popularity, with a whopping 1.9 million visitors in 2024 alone.
The Tower of London took top spot with 2.9 million visitors, while the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew was second place with 2.3 million visitors.
When it comes to free attractions, on the other hand, it wad the British Museum that claimed the top spot with 6.5 million visitors, while the Natural History Museum (5.9 million visitors) took second place, and the Tate Modern (4.6 million visitors) got third.
So as you can see, the south and London in particular is a pretty dominating force in England’s tourism industry – which is why it’s even more impressive to see Chester Zoo ranked so highly.
The new VE title also comes after the zoo was recently given £4 million of lottery funding to help ‘transform’ the local environment and restore wildlife habitats across the Cheshire and wider North West region.
Not only that, but if course follows Chester Zoo’s unveiling of its new immersive experience named Heart of Africa, which is the the largest zoo habitat ever created in the UK and is home to 57 iconic African species.
Chester Zoo has been named one of England’s most popular tourist attractions with 1.9m visitors / Credit: Chester Zoo
“As a major international wildlife charity, everything we do is focused on supporting global conservation,” commented Chester Zoo’s Commercial Director, Dom Strange.
“Whether it’s caring for highly-threatened animals and plants, making scientific discoveries, influencing Government environmental policies, impacting the National Curriculum to better connect young people with nature, or our conservation efforts in around 20 countries, we’re fully committed to protecting endangered species for the future.
“But none of this would be possible without our visitors.
“Every person who comes to the zoo for a fun and inspiring day out is helping to fund our vital work, so we want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported us and helped us to rank so highly in VisitEngland’s latest report.”
Featured Image –
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Manchester Museum saves a ‘national treasure’ to ensure it stays in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum has made a stunning new addition to its natural history collections, and in the process has ensured a ‘national treasure’ stays in the UK.
Not long after claiming the coveted title of European Museum of the Year for 2025, Manchester Museum has done it again – this time working together with John Rylands Library to acquire Henry Dresser’s unique personal copy of his anthology A History of the Birds of Europe so that this ‘invaluable resource’ can remain in the UK for future generations.
The beautifully-illustrated collection of books provide an important historical record to help understand how and why bird populations have changed over time.
Dresser’s personal copy is heavily-annotated with personal notes and observations.
These books are deemed to be of ‘outstanding significance’, not only for scientific purposes but also for their aesthetic value, as they have also been illustrated by some of the leading wildlife artists of the day.
The volumes were recognised as a national treasure by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, which is supported by the Arts Council, and this meant that the Government placed a temporary export deferral on them to allow time for UK buyers to raise the funds to keep them in the country.
Brilliantly, the acquisition of these books reunites them with Dresser’s own bird specimens that are already cared for by Manchester Museum, including species such as the Slender-billed curlew, which is now believed to be extinct.
The now-extinct species’ presence in both Dresser’s beautifully-annotated volumes and the ornithological collections at Manchester Museum highlights the vital role that historical records play in tracking biodiversity loss over time to uncover the long-term impact of environmental change.
Manchester Museum has saved a ‘national treasure’ to ensure it stays in the UK / Credit: Manchester Museum
“Threats to the natural world and biodiversity have never been greater and while this anthology has historical value, it also speaks to the urgent issues of the present,” commented Esme Ward, who is the Director of Manchester Museum.
“These books are breathtakingly beautiful, and by bringing them together with natural history collections, we believe they will not only provide scientific benefit, but also capture the hearts of future ornithologists and conservationists.”
A History of the Birds of Europe will be officially unveiled at a private view on Friday 27 June, before being displayed to the public for the first time in Manchester Museum’s ‘Living Worlds’ gallery from Saturday 28 June 2025 right through until Sunday 25 January 2026.
Daisy Jackson -
17th July 2023 
